Machine for slicing german sausages, &amp;c.



MAAN SAUSAGES, &c.

(Application l'ed; Apta. 5, 1898-) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(N o M me 1a.);

Patented luly Il, |899. W. A. VAN BERKEL. MACHINE FUR SLICING GERMANSAUSA(1`|ES,V81.G.`

(Appliation filed Apr. 5, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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m: cams Urns co UNTTnn TaTns l f FFlCEQ lMTnNT MACHINE FOR SLICINGGERMAN SAUSAGES', Sao.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,742, dated July 1l,1899.-

Application filed April 5, 1898. Serial No. 676,561. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, `WILHELuUs ADnLiNUs VAN BERKEL, manufacturer, asubject of the Queen of the Netherlands, and a resident of Rotterdam, inthe Kingdom of the Nether' lands, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Slicing German Sansa-ges and the Like, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object a machine for slicing German sausagesand the like meat goods in which a fixed, but constantlyrotating,circular knife of spherical or dished form is arranged for cutting thesausages.

The lengths of cutting by the circular knife are determined by its speedof rotation and are larger according as the speed of rotation of theknife is increased corresponding to the meat goods to be sliced or cut.The table on which the sausage or the like is clamped is evenly. movedalong toward the edge of said rotating circular knife slowly while aslice is being cut off from the sausage, but returned rapidly after thecut. In the time that the table'is moving back the sausage is pushedforward on the table to thc width of a slice, and this adjustment takesplace automatically, and the machine may be adjusted to all kinds ofmeat goods which must be cut thicker or thinner. The length of theto-andfro movement of the table may also be regulated to correspond tothe size of the polony to be sliced in order that the travel of thetable shall not be larger than the width of the piece of meat and notime be lost.

The cutting-machine according to this invention removes all the defectsand drawbacks of the cutting-machines hitherto known. In these machinesthe table is as a rule fixed and the knife ad justably arranged; alsothe lengths of cutting are measured too short, so that the knife pressesmore than cuts. This pressing of the slices is also caused by the wholewidth of the existing knife heing in contact with the piece of meatduring the cutting, whereby friction is considerably increased. Theknives also do not invariably move exactly in a straight line, and allthese mentioned drawbacks tend to produce the undesirable so-calledslipping of the knife and the cutting of slices of unequal thickness.

My circular knife has, however, a spnerlca. or dished form, so that onlythe knife-edge comes in contact with the piece of meat. The circularknife revolves precisely in a straight line, so that disks or slices xnathematically of equal thickness are cut off and slipping of the knifecan no longer take place. A further advantage is that the circular knifecan be ground on the slicing-machine itself and also that all sizes ofmeat goods or polonies may be cut transversely or obliquely. Severalpieces may be sliced simultaneously on the same machine up to the lastpiece, which hitherto had always to be done by hand.

The improved slicing-machine is shown in various views in theaccompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view; Fig. 2 a frontview, and Fig. 3 a rear view. Fig. 4 is a plan of a table arrangedobliquely t0 the circular knife. Figs. 2 and 3 are details of theslicing-ma chine. Figs. 5, 5a, and 6 are respectively a verticalcross-section, longitudinalsection, and rear elevation of themovabletahle on an enlarged scale, showing also the mechanism for moving thepolony and the device for lreleasing the same. Y

A table B for the polonies or the like which are to be sliced isarranged on a rectangular table-frame A in a dovetail groove orslidetrack a by means of two slide-carriages b, movable in a transversedirection. At the side in front of the table a circular knife C ismounted in a bearing frame or support c on the table-frame and with itscutting edge C' as close as possible to the front edge of the movabletable B. The circular knife is mounted on the end of a shaft c', whichrevolves on a cone-bearing c2 and has at its other end a chain-wheel F',Figs. l and 2. The shaft c is also adjustable in the cone bearings c2 bymeans of set-screws c3. The rotation of the circular knife C and themovement of the table B up to and along the knife take place from a mainshaft D, which is ar-` ranged in suitable bea-rings or supports d d onthe table-frame. As may be seen in Figs. l, 2, and 3, this main shaft isoperated. by a chain K, carried over a chain-wheel R on the shaft 7c ofa hand-crank E and over a chainwheel R on the said main shaft D, thelatter IOO being placed too low to be directly mounted on the hand-crankshaft. On the other end the main shaft D carries a bevel-wheel S, whichengages with two bevel-wheels S' S2, mounted one on each side in abearing-support d' and arranged at right angles to the first wheel. Oneof these latterbevel-wheels, S', produces the movement of the table Band the other, S2, the rotation of the circular knife C by means of theshafts of the latter bevelwheel, which at the other end carries a largechain-wheel T, which by means of a chain L drives a smaller chain-wheelT' on the shaft of the circular knife. 'The bearing-supportl for thisend of the bevel-wheel shaft s is screwed to the table-frame. The speedof rotation of the circular knife is considerably increased by theadoption of a suitable ratio of transfer for the chain-wheel gearing,and it is possible by the insertion of a larger or smaller chain-wheelT' to vary the speed according to requirements. By the spherical ordished form of the circular knife the cutting edge C in cutting` off aslice froml the polony or the like will throw the piece cut off from thelatter into an open collecting-box or receiver F. This collecting-box isplaced as close as possible to the movable table B and the revolvingknife C. Its form is suited to that of the circular knife, and it isattached both to. the tableframe A and also to the bearing frame orsupport c.

As mentioned at the commencement of the speciflcatiomthe c-ircular knifemay be grou nd on the slicing-machine itself. Its spherical form lendsitself excellently to this, and for this object an emery-stone or thelike is fixed on the table B and is then passed, with the` moving tableB, along the rapidly-rotating knife, thus sharpening the latter.

If, owing to repeated sharpenings, the cutting edge c' lies too far fromthe front edge of the table, the table, with the slide-tracks a, may beagain moved closer up. For this object adjustable connections a' for theslidetracks a to the table-frame are employed,

. Figs. l and 2a.

The transverse movement of the table B is effected in the followingmanner: A pin e is Y return movement.

adjustably mounted in a slot e' in the side of one bevel-Wheel S', Figs.3 and 3, This pin engagesin a slot gin a lever G, which is revolublymounted in the table-frame underneath the bevel-wheel and the upper endof which is pivotally connected, by means of a link H, with the underside of the table. The lever is thus oscillated by said pin e andimparts an alternating movement to the table. The movement outward ofthe pin e determines the length of the reciprocating movement of thetable. The position of the pivot g' for the said lever G is selected asregards that of the bevel-wheel S' in such a way that the leverage ofthe pin e on the forward movement is considerably larger than that onthe The forward movementthat is to say, the one during which the knifecuts is therefore slower and the return move; ment, in which no work isdone, is rapidly effected. Fig. 3 showsin dotted lines the other endmostposition of the table B, while the one shown in Fig. 3a, with the pin ein the slot e of the bevel-wheel S', corresponds to the greatestmovement cf the lever G. In case small slices are to be cut, for whichthe length of movement of the table only requires to be small, the pin eis iixed in the other corner of the slot e' in the bevel-wheel toshorten the movement of the table, and in this manner no time is lost.

The surface of the table is ribbed or corrugated on the upperside toabout half its length, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and the remaining partis covered with an adjustable plate N,'

which is carried between dovetail bars h, arranged on the side edges ofthe table. On the front edge of the plate N a clamp for the polony orthe like is arranged. This consists of two vertical toothed bars u n',which are connected by means of aclamp-iron P, having a handle p, Figs.2 and 5. The one toothed bar n is fixed. The other bar rrd-that is tosay, the one on the hand-crank side of the table-is pivotally connectedwith the plate N and is always pressed outward by means of a spring n2.The clamp-iron P has preferably a n profile, which produces a betterclamping of the polony or the like.

For cutting slices of meat the adjustable plate N is drawn entirely backand the polony or piece of meat is clamped thereon by the clam p-iron Pbeing engaged in one of the teeth of the toothed bar n, the'handle pbeing then pressed down and allowed to spring into engagement with oneof the teeth of the other toothed bar n'. The clamp-iron thus holds thepolony at one end, with the other end lying at the front edge of thetable B. By the table being provided with sharp ridges or corrugations mand the knife,so to speak, pressing down the polony while cutting it,(it being moved by the movable table against the circular knife). thepolony cannot slip on the table, although it is merely held at the oneend of the adjustable plate N.

As mentioned at the commencement of the specification, after eachcut-'that is to say, on the return movement of the tablethe polony orthe like is automatically' moved forward to the thickness of one slice.This adjustment is effected in the following manner: A screwed rod V isarranged in the center line beneath the table B. Above this rod anelongated opening V is provided in the table, Figs. 1 and 5. A nut isconnected with the adjustable plate N, which nut consist-s of two parts,the upper one, t, of which is firmly connected with the plate N and hasno thread and therefore slips over or along the bar V, while the lowerpart of the nut, t', which is hinged to the other part t, has, however,a thread, (see Fig. 5, which represents a ver.- tical cross-section ofthe table through nuts tt'.) If then this part be pressed against theIOO IIC

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screwed bar V, this thread will engage with the thread thereon, and uponthe rotation of the bar the plate N will be moved forward. If, however,the threaded part t of the nut be released from the bar V, the plate Nmay be freely adjusted or displaced.

The throwing into engagement of the nut with the screw-bar V is effectedin the following manner: Theunder part of the nut t is prolonged to theone side, and this end t2 slides in a slotted bar r, which extends alongthe entire extent of the elongated opening Iu and is provided with arms,so as to turn on pins 0"12 on the table, Figs. 5 and 5, like a ball,which latter figure represents a vertical longitudinal section of thetable, the bar r being in elevation, as seen from the right. One end armof the slotted bar is prolonged to the outside of the table and `hereformed into a counterweight NV. In consequence of this counterweight IVthe slotted bar r is always raised, and thereby the under part of thenut is pressed against the screwed rod V, so that then the adjustableplate N is connected therewith. If, however, the counter'- weight WV beraised, this connection will be released and the plate N may at onceassume any vdesired position on the table B without revolving thescrewed rod V. Fig. 5 shows in dotted lines the highest position of theconnterweight and the lowest of the lower part t of the nut, the latterbeing thus released from the screwed bar V. It is evident that while theplate N is on the table its con nection with the screwed bar may be atany time released by lifting the counterweight, and thus pressing downthe bar V.

The rotation ot' the screwed barV and the pushing forward of the plateN, with the polony or the like, is elfected in the following way by thebackward movement of the table itself: On the end of this bar, outsidethe table, aratchetlwheel w is firmly mounted and an elbow-lever a a'loosely mounted thereon. The one end e' of the lever bears, by means ofa roller t', on an inclined plane or cam b, which is adjustablyconnected with the table-frame. On the other end a" of the lever a pawl,a2 is pivotally mounted to engage the ratchet tu, said pawl having ahandle z3 to allow of its being disengaged. A second roller i2 ismounted on the pivot of the pawl to run on the table-frame as soon asthe first roller t has traveled off the camf, and any dropping down ofthe lever-arm isthus prevented.

The inclined plane or cam is adjustable vertically and horizontally, thescrew-pin f', by which itis ixed, being adjustable in a horizontalelongated slot fz in the table-frame and itself projecting throughavertical elongated slot f3 in the cam fand being screwed to the same bymeans of a nut, Fig. G.

On the forward movement of the table the roller vl runs down theinclined plane or cam and then the other roller i2 runs along the table.The lever-arm a then descends and the pawl z2 slides over a number ofteeth of the stationary ratchet-wheel w. movement of the table thislever-arm, however, is again raised until the roller i has reached thehighest point of the inclined plane f, and the pawl z2 in the meantimerotates the ratchet w and therewith the screwed rod V, so that the plateis pushed forward to the thickness of a slice of meat. This operation isrepeated at each to-and-fro movement of the table, so that gradually thepo lony or the like is cut into slices. By placing the cam fhigher agreater displacement of the plate N and thicker slices of meat may beobtained, while if a shorter transverse n1ovement of the table at thebevel-wheel S is to be obtained the cam or planef must becorrespondingly adjusted to the right in the slot f2.

As hereinbefore mentioned, the polony or the like may also be clampedobliquely or diagonally 011 the table and then the machine will cut, forinstance, longerslices from a polony. For this purpose an oblique tableB, Fig. 4, may be utilized. This arrangement 'requires only anotherconnection of the nut on the plate N-namely, by the upper part 2f of thenut being formed as a round pin or stud t3 to move between two bars orridges o on the'plate N. This arrangement is necessary when the screwedbar V is placed at right angles, and the opening@ must then be made muchbroader. Fig. 4 shows these p0- sitions of theplate N in the table B,allowing the position of the nut between the bars o to be cleariyseen.The arrangement of the other parts requires no alteration.

I declare that what I claim is-VA l. In a machine for slicing Germansausages and the like meat goods: the combination with a stationary butrevoluble circular knife and means for rotating same, of a movabletable, means for adjusting the length of travel of the table, means forclamping to said table the meat or the like to be cut, and means forreciprocating said table transversely to the axis of said knife,substantially as hereinbefore described.

2. In a machine forslicing German sausages and the like meat goods: thecombination with a stationary but revoluble circular knife and means forrotating same, of a movable table, means for adjusting the length oftravel of the table, means for reciprocating said table transversely tothe axis of said knife, an adj ustable plate covering a portion of saidtable and extending to said grooves, means for clamping the meat or thelike to said plate, and means for automatically moving said plate towardthe knife after each slice or out, substantially as hereinbeforedescribed.

3. A machine for slicing German sausages and the like meat goods,comprising a stationary but revoluble circular knife havinga sphericalor dished form; means for rotating said knife; a movable table; meansfor reciprocating said table transversely to the axis of the said knife;an adjustable plate on said table; means for clamping the meat or the Onthe return IOO IIO

r 62am like to said plate; means for automatically moving said platetoward the knife after each slice or cut; and means for adjusting thelength of travel of the table; in combination, substantially ashereinbefore` described.

4. In a slicingmachine of the kind described: the means forreciprocating thetable in adjustable slide-tracks on the tablefra'metransversely to the axis of the circular knife, consisting of thecombination with one of the gear-wheels of the machine of a lever havingone end pivotally connected to the frame, and its other end linked tothe table, said gear-wheel having a pin to engage in a slot formed insaid lever in such a way that the table is reciprocated with a slowforward movement but with a quick return, substantially as hereinbeforedescribed.

5. In a slicingmachine of thekind described: the means for reciprocatingthe table in adjustable slide-tracks on the tableframe transversely tothe axis of the circular knife, consisting of the combination with oneof the gear-wheels of the machine, of a lever having one end pivotallyconnected to the frame, and its other end linked to the table, saidgear-wheel having a pin to engage in a slot formed in said lever in sucha way that by the shifting of said pin in said slot the table isreciprocated with aslow forward movement but with a quick return, thesaid pin being adjustably mounted on the side of the gear-wheel to adaptit to set at a variable distance from the center, whereby the length oftravel of the table may be adjusted, substantially as hereinbeforedescribed.

6. In a slicing -machine of the kind described, the means forautomatically moving forward the feed-plate after each slice comprisinga threaded spindle arranged beneath t-he table and means for rotatingsaid spindie, in combination with a nut formed of two parts pivotallyconnected with one another on the feed-plate, the upper part of the saidnut being firmly connected with the plate and adapted to slip or travelover the threaded rod while the lower part is provided with a thread toengage said rod, and an arm or ei;- tension on said lower partengagingin a slotted bar which is pivotally mounted like a bail with acounterweighttending to press it normally upward to thus keep the twovparts' of the nut closed andin engagement with the screw-thread whilepermitting of an immediate release of the nutand therewith of the'feed-plate from the threaded spindle, substantially as hereinbeforedescribed.

7. In a slicing-machine of the kind described, the mechanism for therotation of the threaded spindle after each slice or cut so as to moveforward the feed-table; consisting of aratchet-wheel fixed on thethreaded spindle, in combination with a double lever, the one arm ofwhich carries a pawl to engage the ratchet-wheel, and the other arm aroller bearing on an inclined plane or cam whereby on the returnmovement of the table the said ratchet-wheel and therewith the threadedspindle are rotated by the pawl to move the feed-plate with the meat orthe like, the said inclined plane or cam being so mounted on themachine-frame as to be laterally and vertically adjustable in order thatit may be set for thicker slices of meat, or

to suit the length of travel of the table, substantially as hereinbeforedescribed.

8. In a slicing-machine of the kind described, the combination'of atable, a feedplate obliquely mounted on said table, means forautomatically moving 'said feed plate obliquely toward the knife orcutter after each slice or cut, and means for adjusting the length oftravel of the said table, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of two witnesses, this 22d day of March, 1898.

WILHELMUS ADRIANTS VAN BERKEL.

Witnesses:

PETRUS VAN BERKEL, JUsTUs WILHELMUS SCHWEGMAN.

